Sine qua non
by GhostofVitus
Summary: Yuffie is left hospitalized after a vicious attack by an unknown assailant. During her period of convalescence, Cloud pledges to stay by her side, watching over her while she recovers. As they spend more and more time together, something begins to grow and develop between them. Something more than friendship..
1. The incident

**'Sine qua non'  
**

**Chapter 1  
The incident**

* * *

She looked so different, laying on the hospital bed. Cheerful, tomboyish, spunky... all the usual words one might apply to her, and not a one seemed appropriate any more. Sure, Yuffie Kisaragi was all these things and more, but right now, she looked frail and vulnerable.

Cloud shook his head as he looked upon his friend in her pitiful state. It was painful to see the energetic young girl reduced to a bedridden invalid, barely able to move or speak. Half of her face was covered with bandages, the other half marred by bruises and a black eye. Her purple top, tattered and torn, lay on the plastic chair next to her bed, which was surrounded by the usual medical paraphernalia.

A heart rate monitor ticked away in the corner of the room, and there was an IV stand with a saline injection hooked up to her left arm. In addition, she had a breathing tube stuck down her throat, which supplied her with air via the ventilator machine next to her bed, the soft noise of the mechanism compressing and decompressing as it aided her respiration the only sound that could be heard in the quiet ward.

She looked more pallid than usual, and it was clear that she was not entirely lucid, though that was to be expected. All in all, her condition was a grim reminder that, as strong and independent a spirit as she was, she was still as vulnerable as anyone else.

Cloud sat by her bedside, next to the window, keeping an eye on her condition. He had been the first to arrive, though he knew his friends could not be far behind. It was not long before he could hear footsteps as someone else came down the hallway.

"I came as soon as I got the call," Tifa said as she entered the room. "What happen-"

She gasped, horrified, holding her hand up to her face as she saw the state her friend was in.

"Oh, god. Yuffie.." she whispered, rushing over to the bed where her friend lay, unmoving. She pressed a hand against her forehead, which was scorching, but quickly retracted it again, seeing how she winced at her touch.

"What happened to her?" Tifa asked, looking over at Cloud.

Cloud shook his head, but said nothing. It was obvious enough from her wounds what had transpired. They both knew that, given her extensive martial arts training and combat experience, it was all but impossible that some random stranger could have taken her in a fight, at least not without an undue advantage. The only logical conclusion was that this had been done to her by someone she knew. Someone she trusted. Someone she was close to. But as to the identity of the perpetrator, they could only guess.

"Hey," Tifa said, leaning over the bed, gently caressing her friend's head. "Can you hear me?"

Yuffie nodded as best she could, looking up at her with her unbandaged eye.

"Who did this to you?" Tifa asked.

Yuffie struggled to move. She bit against the breathing tube, visibly frustrated by her inability to speak. With a pained expression, she glanced over to the nightstand, upon which were laid a pad and a pencil with which she could write. Tifa picked up the pad, holding it up for her while she scratched something onto it with her good hand. When she was finished, she put the pencil down on the bed, rather than the table, the effort of writing having tired her out.

Tifa frowned as she examined her friend's message. A single word.

'Reno'

Cloud and Tifa looked at each other. Neither of them could quite believe it. Reno was rakish, that much was for certain, and they knew his attitude towards women was less than admirable, but they found it hard to believe that he would have it in him to do something like this. Even for the former Turk, this was beyond the pale.

There had been rumours going around that the two of them had been seeing each other. It was no secret that Yuffie found the louche Turk charming, and she had been seen hanging around with him late at night on quite a few occasions. It didn't take a genius to guess what might have gone wrong. A few laughs, a few drinks, and then..

Cloud shook his head again. Even though he didn't have the highest opinion of Reno, he wasn't willing to indict him right away, either, though he doubted that Yuffie would lie about something like this. But finding and punishing the culprit was secondary in his mind to ensuring that his friend would be all right.

As the two of them watched over her, a doctor came into the room. "You're family?" he asked, spotting the two of them sitting by the bed.

"Friends," Tifa said.

"I see," the doctor replied. "If you wouldn't mind, I need to administer some anesthetics.."

The doctor walked over to the other side of the bed, replacing the saline drip with a medical infusion. "You may feel drowsy," he said to Yuffie as he went about his work. "It's best if you try to get some sleep."

She merely nodded to indicate her understanding and assent. Her eyes began to look watery and dull, her pupils dilating as the liquid seeped into her veins.

"Wait," Tifa said, stopping the doctor in the doorway as he made to leave. She got up, walking just out of earshot. "Did he..." she started, wringing her hands as she spoke. "I mean... was she..?"

She left the question lingering, not wanting to spell it out.

"I'm afraid it appears that way," the doctor replied. "Initial examination shows bruising on her interior thighs consistent with.."

Tifa didn't quite hear what he said next. His words seemed to fade into the background, but she knew perfectly well what the doctor was saying. She clenched her fists as she listened to the man speak. The thought that someone would violate her friend in such a callous manner made her blood boil.

"Is she going to be all right?" Cloud asked, joining Tifa and the doctor in the doorway. They spoke in low voices, so as not to cause their friend any more distress.

"Yes, I believe so," the doctor said. "But it will take time for her wounds to heal. And... not all of them may be physical, so to speak. Being in the company of friends would greatly help her recovery, I'm sure. If you have the time to spare.."

"Not a problem," Cloud said.

With that, the doctor left the three of them alone in the room. Cloud and Tifa returned to their seats next to the window. They sat there for a while, keeping watch over Yuffie as she drifted in and out of consciousness.

As they kept watch, Cloud saw Tifa growing visibly angry, and he could tell that she was having trouble sitting still. Finally, she decided she couldn't just sit and wait any longer.

"Can you stay here and look after her?" Tifa asked, getting up.

"Where are you going?" Cloud asked.

"To have a little talk with Reno," Tifa replied, cracking her knuckles.

* * *

An hour or so passed. Cloud kept watch the entire time, not once taking his eyes off the young girl laying on the bed while she slept. As the hour hands of the clock above her bed struck nine, she woke up with a sudden start, but then relaxed, seeing her familiar surroundings once more.

"Feeling better?" Cloud asked, seeing that she was awake again.

She gave the smallest of nods, wincing as she did. It was evident that even the slightest of movements was still causing her pain.

"Do you need anything?"

Yuffie coughed, glancing back over at the pad on the table, which he held up for her to write with. Again, all she could manage was a single word.

'Thirsty'

Cloud looked around for a moment, before spotting a soda machine in the hallway. He walked over, picking out something that was safe for her to drink, before returning to her side with a juice box, helping her take in some of its contents using the thin straw provided. When she was finished, she gestured for the pad again, and he held it up for her while she wrote something else on it.

'Thx'

The bottom of the last letter trailed off the pad, as she was too exhausted to write out the full word. She gazed up at him with a look of gratitude, simple a request though it had been, in his view.

"Any time," Cloud said.

* * *

It was growing late in the evening when Tifa returned. As she entered the room, Cloud noticed that she looked a bit scuffed up.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Tifa replied. "That bastard didn't get the drop on me. Unlike her," she said, gesturing towards Yuffie.

"What happened?" Cloud asked.

"Like I said, we had a little... talk," Tifa said. "He swears up and down that he didn't do anything, but.."

She shook her head and sighed. "I don't know. I figured a lesson in manners couldn't hurt, in any case. I think I let him off pretty easy, considering.."

She frowned, looking at her bedridden friend. Taking revenge seemed petty and futile, and it wasn't going to help Yuffie's condition.

"How is she doing?" Tifa asked.

"She's better, but not by much," Cloud replied.

"I see.." Tifa said. "Listen... I need to get back home. I can't leave Denzel and Marlene alone for too long. Can you stay here with Yuffie?"

"Sure," Cloud said.

"Okay, good," Tifa said. "I've called our friends. I'll make sure you get relief as soon as they arrive."

He got up from his seat, and they exchanged a brief hug before she walked out of the ward again. Cloud turned his attention back to Yuffie, who had lapsed into a dreamless sleep in the interim, the medicine having taken the edge off her pain.

* * *

"I'm sorry, sir. Visiting hours are over."

Cloud looked up at the nurse. The constant vigil and lack of sleep were beginning to dull his mind, and he looked at her without comprehension.

"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to leave," the nurse said.

Despite her protests, he remained still. He wasn't about to leave his friend's side now.

"Is there a problem here?" the doctor asked, walking up next to the nurse.

"This man refuses to leave," the nurse said.

"It's all right. I'll handle this," the doctor replied, ushering the nurse out of the room. "You're staying the night, I take it?"

Cloud nodded, but said nothing.

"Would you like accommodations?" the doctor asked. "A pillow, anything like that?"

"I'm fine," Cloud replied.

The doctor left again, turning the lights down low as he did. The ventilator machine had been switched off, as well, so all that could be heard was the soft sound of rain beating against the window.

Cloud looked over Yuffie's face, watching for any sign of improvement in her condition. He wasn't sure whether she was conscious or not, though her breathing seemed more regular now. She was breathing softly, taking in long, slow breaths, and she seemed a bit more comfortable than she had been when he had first seen her tonight.

"Listen..." he said. "I don't know if you can hear me, but... I want you to know that I'm right here with you."

As he spoke, he took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"I'm not going anywhere," he added. "I'm staying here with you until you get better. That's a promise."

He wasn't sure, but he thought he could feel her hand return the gesture, giving his own hand a slight squeeze in return.

He smiled.

"You're going to be okay," he said. "I know it."

Another squeeze of the hand, slightly stronger this time.

* * *

**A/N:**

An auspicious start, I hope.

To be continued.


	2. Still standing

**Chapter 2  
Still standing**

* * *

When Cloud woke up, he found the bed next to him empty. He got up, staggering out into the hallway, but could see no-one around. Although he was not one to panic, he began to grow worried, wondering where Yuffie had gone. Had she been moved to another ward? Taken to surgery? Or somewhere else, entirely? And why had no-one woken him up?

He was about to head out to go look for her, when he heard a voice coming from behind him.

"Hey, Spikes."

He turned to see Yuffie coming down the hallway towards him. She was seated in a wheelchair, being moved about the ward by one of the nurses. She looked better than she had last night, having shed some of her bandages. Her right eye was still covered by a bandage running diagonally across her face, but the bruising around it had faded somewhat, and was now far less prominent than it had been the day before.

"Where did you go?" Cloud asked.

"I just needed to go to the bathroom," Yuffie replied. "You looked so tired. I didn't want to wake you up."

"Well, it's good to see you back on your feet," Cloud said.

"So to speak," Yuffie replied, indicating her wheelchair. "The doctors say I shouldn't try to walk just yet."

"There's no rush," Cloud said. "Just take it easy, okay?"

"Not like I have much choice," Yuffie replied, shrugging.

The nurse left the two of them by themselves, and Cloud wheeled her back inside her room. As he did, he caught a glimpse of a group of people heading their way.

"Looks like you've got company," he said.

Sure enough, within moments, their friends came in through the door to greet them. Cid, Tifa, Reeve, Barret, Nanaki and Vincent, the whole of Avalanche, crowded around her, filling the room to the point where they could all just barely fit inside.

"We heard what happened," Reeve said. "Most of us were out of town. We came as soon as we could."

"Yes, sorry we're late. We got a little delayed along the way," Nanaki explained.

"How so?" Yuffie asked.

"Would you believe that Cid here managed to crash into the only wyvern within ten miles of Midgar while he was flying us over here?" Vincent asked.

There was a brief pause.

"...Actually, yes, I would," Yuffie said.

The whole group burst into peals of laughter at her reply. "Shut up," Cid replied, his face growing red. Even so, he couldn't help from laughing, as well.

"So we had to land for repairs," Reeve said. "You know, once we'd fended the damn thing off."

"No kiddin'," Barret said. "That thing was like a flying fucking rhino."

Yuffie laughed some more, then doubled over, coughing and wincing. "Seriously, guys, don't make me laugh like that," she said with a half-smile, half-grimace on her face. "Damn, that hurts.."

"So... how are you holding up, kiddo?" Cid asked as the laughter died down, and the mood became a little more somber.

"I'm doing okay," Yuffie said. "Just wish I wasn't stuck in this damn wheelchair."

"Ah, don't worry about it," Cid said. "You'll be up and about and kicking ass again before you know it."

The captain reached inside his pocket for a battered packet of cigarettes. The nurse standing next to him, however, cleared her throat in order to get his attention, indicating the 'no smoking' sign on the wall.

Cid rolled his eyes. "I'll be outside," he said, ambling out of the room.

"How are you, though?" Vincent asked, looking over at Yuffie.

"I'm okay, really," Yuffie said. "It's not as bad as it looked yesterday... I think."

"How long do you think it will be before you can leave the hospital?" Tifa asked.

Yuffie bit her lip. "Don't know. They say they want to run some tests tomorrow. Guess we'll find out soon enough."

"Are you expecting any more visitors?" Nanaki asked.

"Not that I know of," Yuffie said.

"Your father's not coming?" Vincent asked.

"You kidding?" Yuffie replied. "He practically disowned me when I told him I was moving to Midgar. Said that if I wanted to live by myself, I could do just that."

She gave a small shrug, casting her gaze down to the floor. "So... I guess I'm out here on my own," she said. "I don't really want him to see me like this, anyway. I doubt he'd ever let me live it down."

"Hey... you're not alone here," Tifa said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Don't ever forget that."

"Damn straight," Barret said.

"We'll be by for regular visits," Tifa said. "Won't we?" she added, looking over at the rest of their friends, who all nodded in unison.

"Thanks, guys," Yuffie replied.

* * *

Her friends departed late in the afternoon, leaving her with a veritable avalanche of flower bouquets, boxes of chocolate and get-well-soon cards, promising to come visit again soon.

Yuffie lay in her bed, resting and recuperating. It was dull, having to be stuck in the hospital, but there was nothing to be done about it. She would simply have to wait and give her wounds time to heal.

As she opened her eyes again, she noticed there was one person still hanging around the hospital. "You're not leaving?" she asked, looking over at Cloud as he returned to her room.

"I promised I'd stay, didn't I?" Cloud said. "I keep my promises."

"You don't have to babysit me, you know," Yuffie said.

"I know," Cloud said. "I just want to make sure you're okay."

She pulled herself up into a sitting position as he walked over to the window, drawing the curtains aside to let in some sunlight. She would have been lying if she said she didn't find all the attention flattering and, although she was loath to admit it, she wasn't feeling quite as well as she had let on. She felt enervated and lethargic, and a constant pain in her left leg kept her from moving about much, so she remained, for the most part, confined to her room. His company would certainly be welcome, especially seeing as how the alternative was lying in bed all day, all alone, watching the ceiling fan turn incessantly.

* * *

A few uneventful days passed. Their friends did their best to come by when they could, but Cloud's was the only constant presence during her recuperation. He kept a watchful eye on her during his stay, as if to ward off some sudden relapse in her state of health. She was glad of the company, and he did his best to help her kill the time, talking, playing, reading her the latest news and driving her about the ward in her wheelchair when she was feeling well enough to move about.

After much pleading and reasoning, their friends had finally talked him into going home for a few hours to take a shower and get some sleep. Even so, he was back in the hospital the very next day. He claimed it was merely concern for a friend, but she was starting to wonder if it might be something more than that. She told herself that she was just imagining things, that of course he was just worried about her, but sometimes she couldn't help but wonder..

* * *

"Hey, Cloud?"

"Hmmm..?"

"How long have we known each other?"

It seemed a pretty random question, one that she had asked completely out of the blue. They were in her room, chatting about one subject or another when the question came up. Yuffie had been recounting the Deepground incident from her perspective earlier in the day, as he had never heard the whole story before. After that, the topic of conversation drifted from one issue to another as chance dictated. He had just returned to her room, having returned her meal tray to the cart out in the corridor, when she suddenly brought up the subject.

"Must be about three years now," Cloud replied. "Why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering.." Yuffie said.

"About what?" Cloud asked.

"What if we've met before that?" Yuffie said. "You know, that time we bumped into each other in the woods."

"'Bumped into each other'? That's a funny way of putting it," Cloud said. "I seem to recall something about someone trying to make off with our materia. Some 'mysterious ninja' living in the woods."

"I wasn't trying to steal it," Yuffie said. "I was just, you know... going to borrow it. Without asking."

Cloud crossed his arms, but said nothing, eyeing her with an amused expression on his face. After a few moments of enduring his scrutiny, Yuffie threw her hands up in surrender. "Okay, you got me. Guilty as charged. Happy now?"

"Delighted," Cloud said. "So, what makes you think we've met before then?"

"I don't know," Yuffie said. "But... I think maybe the reason I picked out your group that day was because you looked familiar."

"You think so?" Cloud asked. He racked his brain, but couldn't think of any particular occasion where they might have met before then.

"Back when you were in the army, you must have been at Wutai, right?" Yuffie asked.

"I was stationed there for a short while, yeah," Cloud said.

As she mentioned it, a recollection stirred in his mind, a vague, hazy memory of the past..

_"I'm Wutai's greatest warrior!" the young girl boasted. "If you want to go any further, you'll have to go through me!"_

_"Go home, kid," Zack said. "It's gotta be way past your bedtime."_

_"Shut your face!" the little girl retorted. "You're the one who's going home!"_

_He stood by, not far away, watching as Zack and the young girl squared off. Whether or not she was telling the truth about being a trained warrior, let alone a great one, she was gutsy, he had to give her that much. He remembered wondering who she was.._

"That was you?" Cloud asked.

"Yeah," Yuffie replied. "Must've been around nine or ten at the time. So, it looks like we've known each other for at least nine years now. Triple the number we thought it was, huh?"

"What are you saying?" Cloud asked.

"I'm just saying... maybe we have more history than we thought," Yuffie said.

"I guess we do," Cloud said. "I never really thought about it that way."

Yuffie nodded, then grimaced.

"Something wrong?" Cloud asked, moving closer to her side.

"My leg hurts," Yuffie said, rubbing the inside of her left leg.

"You should get some rest," Cloud said.

"Yeah.."

He wondered what it was that was causing her pain. Most of her other wounds were healing well enough, but for some reason, she was still unable to walk or stand. He had occasionally tried to talk to her about the night that she had been assaulted, in an attempt to better understand what kind of damage she might have sustained, but she seemed reluctant to talk about it. Still, he knew that they would have to get around to that topic sooner or later, unpleasant though it was.

"Listen..." Cloud said. "About that night.."

As he mentioned it, Yuffie turned away from him, looking downcast. It was clear that she still wasn't ready to talk about what happened, so he decided not to press the matter further.

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," Cloud said. "Some other time, maybe.."

As he made to leave the room and give her some space, however, she spoke up, stopping him. "I don't know," she said. "He just seemed so charming, you know? Easy-going. Fun. Dangerous.."

"Mr. Right, huh?" Cloud said.

"Guess I got that last part right, anyway," Yuffie said.

"So, what happened?" Cloud asked. "You guys seemed to be getting along pretty well."

"We were out on the town," Yuffie said. "We got drunk, and we were making out. I told him we were going too fast, but he wouldn't listen.."

Cloud watched the expression on her face changing as she spoke. He could see where this was going.

"He got a hold of me. Forced me to the ground while he.." she paused, swallowing hard before continuing. "I don't know why he'd.."

She stopped, getting choked up as she recalled the incident, before bursting into tears. Cloud hurried over to her side, holding her as she wept.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

He simply held her, caressing the back of her head in a soothing manner, not knowing what to say or do. He couldn't understand why she felt the need to apologize. There was little he could do, either, except stay with her and try to comfort her. Her physical wounds would heal in time, there was little doubt about that, but the psychological scar that the incident had left on her, that was another matter. The memory still upset her, that much was obvious. As tough as she was, it wasn't the kind of thing you simply shrugged off. The damage that had been done to her was something that she might have to live with for the rest of her life.

He grew frustrated and angry as he thought about it. Perhaps it was better that Tifa had gone to confront Reno, he thought. If it had been him, knowing what he knew now, it was doubtful that he would have left the Turk breathing, much less walking. Even now, he was tempted to go out and even the score. But he couldn't leave Yuffie's side. He found that he didn't want to, either. Right now, more than anything else, he wanted to watch over her and make sure she got better.

"I didn't want you to see me like this, either," Yuffie said, pulling away, wiping the tears from her eyes.

Cloud knew he had to say something to comfort her and get her mind off the incident, though he didn't know what. He had never been particularly good at this sort of thing. But there was one idea that occurred to him. Something that they all had in common..

"It's okay," he said, looking into her eyes. "It's not like this is the first time either of us has taken a beating, right?"

She nodded, looking down into her lap.

"You remember that time you were prowling around the rooftops in Costa del Sol, because there was something in one of the shops that had caught your eye? You slipped on one of the shingles and broke your arm in three places. Even with healing materia, you still had to wear a splint for several weeks."

"Yeah, I remember.." Yuffie said.

"Or that time Cid nearly got his nose sheared off when one of the propellers on the Tiny Bronco came loose.."

Yuffie nodded again, and Cloud thought he could see the hint of a smile forming on her face.

"Or that time Barret got drunk and fell asleep right next to Nanaki's tail, and.."

"..and he singed his beard off," Yuffie finished, letting out a small chuckle as she recalled the incident. "Or that time you sat down on a giant alligator, thinking it was a rock."

"Don't remind me," Cloud said. "I still can't go near water without thinking about it."

Yuffie laughed, remembering the ensuing chase. Cloud smiled as well, glad to see her returning to her cheerful self. She was still sniffling, but clearly feeling a little better now.

"I mean, hell..." Cloud said. "Between the eight of us, we've probably broken every bone there is to break. Not to mention all the other mishaps we've had.."

"Okay, I get your point," Yuffie said. "We've both gotten the crap kicked out of us before."

"But we're still standing," Cloud said. "That's what matters, right?"

Yuffie nodded. "Right."

"Besides... you're Wutai's greatest warrior, remember?" Cloud said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We can't let you mope around in a hospital ward for the rest of your life, now can we?"

"No, I guess not," Yuffie said.

"All right, then. Let's keep going," Cloud said. "I made you a promise. Now, I'd like you to make me one."

"Which is?" she asked.

"That you'll give me your word that you're going to fight through this," Cloud said. "And I'm going to help you every step of the way. Deal?"

She reached out to shake his hand, sealing their agreement. "Deal."

"So... you want to go for a walk?" Cloud asked, reaching for her wheelchair, which had been folded and left in the corner of the room.

Yuffie looked up at him, smiling. "I thought you'd never ask."

* * *

**A/N:**

This chapter was a bit rushed. Hopefully the quality is okay. Let me know if you spot any errors, misspellings, dangling participles etc..

Next chapter coming in a couple of weeks, I expect. Thanks for reading.


	3. Comfortably numb

**Chapter 3  
Comfortably numb**

* * *

Another rainy day.

A few weeks had gone by, and Yuffie's recuperation progressed without incident. By now she was free of most of her bandages, and the bruises on her face and forearms had healed for the most part. All in all, she was looking healthier and more like herself again. She was not yet ambulant, however, a chronic pain in her left leg keeping her from walking or standing, so she still had to rely on her wheelchair to get around.

Cloud remained with her the whole time, and was kind enough to drive her wherever she needed to go. During their forays throughout the hospital ward, they would talk quite a lot, discussing whatever subject came to mind. Or rather, she would talk and he would listen. Cloud had never been particularly verbose, and though he had become much more personable since they had first met, that was one aspect of his character which hadn't changed at all. He didn't talk much, but he was a good listener, which was fortunate, because it turned out that Yuffie had quite a lot to say about pretty much anything that came to mind.

In a way, it was unusual to have someone take an interest in her circuitous ramblings to this extent, but far from treating it as any kind of imposition, he seemed content to hear her out, regardless of the subject at hand. He really did seem to care about her, a great deal more than he had ever let on before, and, unlike their early days in Avalanche, where they couldn't seem to go for one day without getting into a petty squabble about something or other, he remained quite cordial in her presence.

Today was different, however.

Having finished their afternoon walk through the hospital ward, they returned to Yuffie's room. Cloud encouraged her to get out of her room as much as she felt able to, in order to speed up her recovery, and to take regular rests in between. A comfortable silence had fallen between them, during which she tried to sleep, while he kept watch over her, making sure that there was no sudden regression in her recovery, which was still a possibility. She found it impossible to stay asleep, however, so she simply lay in bed, with her eyes half-shut, casting occasional glances toward her friend.

Cloud had been standing at the window for the last half hour or so, watching the rain come down. He had been strangely silent all day, much more so than usual, and she couldn't help but wonder why.

Yuffie sat up, swinging her legs over the edge of her bed. "Cloud..." she said. "What's on your mind?"

There was no response.

She couldn't tell if he had heard her or not. Normally, he was quite attentive, but today, he seemed distracted and morose, unusually so. It wasn't until she glanced at the calendar next to her bed that she realized what it was that was bothering him.

February 7th.

"Oh, that's right..." she said. "Today's Aerith's birthday, isn't it?"

"Would have been," he replied, without turning to face her.

She knew that he would sometimes get this way around this time of year. Three years since the incident at the Lost City, he still couldn't find any peace or closure over what happened.

"Hey," she said, beckoning him over to where she sat. "Come here."

He walked over, and she pulled him into a tight hug as he approached her bed. "Don't let it bother you, okay?" she said, speaking in a soft tone of voice. "What happened wasn't your fault. There was nothing you could do."

"I couldn't keep my promise to her," Cloud said.

"You tried," Yuffie said. "That's all you can do."

"I didn't try hard enough."

"That's not true," Yuffie said, pulling away, looking him in the eye. "You did everything you could."

Cloud looked as though he was about to say something else, but then turned away from her, facing the window once more.

"Come on, talk to me," Yuffie said, patting the spot on the bed next to her. "You keep bottling stuff up like this, you're going to drive yourself crazy. Again."

Cloud did as she asked, sitting down on the bed next to her. It was a moment before he spoke.

"You know..." he began. "After what happened, I told myself that I shouldn't try to protect anyone ever again. Maybe that's why I tried to distance myself from other people. It was easier that way. You keep everyone at arm's length, then you don't let anyone get close enough for you to start worrying about losing the people you care about."

"But that's changed, right?" Yuffie said, noting how he looked at her as he spoke the few last words.

Cloud shook his head. "Even after the incident with Kadaj.."

"Right. When you saved the children," Yuffie chimed in.

"Even after that... I'm still not sure if I'm fit to watch over anyone else," Cloud finished.

"You're not doing such a bad job right now," Yuffie said.

Cloud looked up at her, trying to discern whether or not she was being sarcastic. By the earnest look she was giving him, he could tell that she meant what she was saying. "Thanks," he replied, feeling a little better as a result of her words.

It was strange how they had suddenly changed roles. He was supposed to be taking care of her, after all. During her prolonged stay at the hospital, he had tried his very best to do just that. But she didn't seem to mind reversing roles, for once.

"Stuff happens, you know?" Yuffie said. "You can't always control it."

Cloud nodded, looking down on the floor.

"But... sometimes, just being there is enough," she added, giving his hand a light squeeze.

Her gesture managed to coax a small smile out of him, which she couldn't help but return. She held his hand for a little bit longer, and he looked up at her again, gazing at her with an intensity that she had rarely seen in his eyes. She looked back at him, breathless, lips slightly parted, as she stared into an endless ocean of blue. He leaned in closer, and she found herself drawn in, as well..

"Miss Kisaragi?" a voice came from behind them. Startled, they broke off, turning to see one of the doctors approaching them.

"..Yes?" Yuffie replied.

"I'm here to talk to you about scheduling a day for your surgery," the doctor said.

"Surgery?" Cloud asked.

"Yes," the doctor replied, turning to Yuffie. "We just got the results back from your tests. We've determined the reason you've been having pain in your left leg. It seems you've suffered some damage to the femoral artery in your upper thigh. We'll need to operate soon, to prevent it from rupturing."

"How soon?" Yuffie asked.

"Sooner rather than later," the doctor replied, flipping a couple of pages on his slate. "I can schedule you for a session tomorrow at three o'clock if you like."

"Okay," Yuffie said.

The doctor scribbled something on his notepad, then left the room again.

Yuffie looked over at Cloud again, but the moment had passed. He got up, excusing himself from the room, before stopping the doctor in the hallway to have a word with him.

"Listen, doc.." Cloud said. "Is there any chance of an op like this going bad?"

"It should go fine, but.." the doctor replied.

"...but?" Cloud asked, growing worried.

"There's always a slight chance of complications with this kind of operation," the doctor said. "Don't worry, though," he added, seeing the concerned look on Cloud's face. "It's _very_ slight. I'm sure things will go just fine."

With that, the doctor walked on down the corridor. Cloud returned to Yuffie's room, only to find the young ninja asleep in her bed.

* * *

The next day, the two of them headed down to the surgical ward. Cloud pushed the wheelchair through the corridor, escorting Yuffie to the operating room, pausing just outside the main operating theater. Though she did her best not to show it, he could tell that she was nervous, and he couldn't blame her.

"Well... this it it," Yuffie said with a sigh. "Time to let some total strangers cut me up into little pieces."

"Don't worry. They've promised to put you back together again afterwards," Cloud joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Yeah, but they didn't say in what order," Yuffie replied, grinning, and they shared a small laugh.

"Cloud..." she said, taking hold of his arm as he was about to leave. "...I'm scared."

He could tell that she was being serious now. It was rare for Yuffie to admit fear or weakness. She was usually a bastion of confidence, even to the point of arrogance, but right now, she was being as honest with him as she had ever been, unable to mask her fear of what was coming, looking as though she might be on the verge of tears once again.

Cloud didn't know how to respond. Words of reassurance simply wouldn't come to him. He didn't want to present her with false hope, but at the same time, he knew he had to say something to assuage her fear. He knelt down beside her, taking her hand. "I know," he said. "I can't go in there with you. But I'll be right outside... okay?"

"Promise?" she asked.

"Promise."

With reluctance, he let go of her hand as one of the doctors wheeled her into the operating theater. He stood on the other side of the observation window, doing his best not to get in the way of the hospital staff as they prepared for the operation.

* * *

Yuffie lay on the operating table, watching as the doctors and nurses around her moved about the room, setting up their medical equipment and making their final preparations. She had an oxygen mask strapped to her face, which was slowly administering an anesthetic vapor, making her head swim. She took another deep breath, and then the world grew hazy, like seeing through water.

She turned her head, looking over to the viewing window at the far side of the room. She could see someone standing on the other side of the glass, watching over her, but her sight was becoming blurry, the people around her looking more like smoke and shadows than solid shapes.

It was not long before she was unconscious, the humming and beeping of medical machinery the last thing she heard as she went under.

* * *

As the hospital staff concluded its preparations and the operation began, one of the nurses walked over, drawing the curtains across the viewing window. Cloud sat down on a nearby bench, hands folded in front of his face, wondering what was happening on the other side. He wished there were something more he could do, but right now all he could do was sit and wait. Wait and hope.

He tried to tell himself that everything was fine. That the operation would be a success and that there was nothing for him to be worried about... but it was eating him up inside. The thought of something going wrong. And it was out of his hands. Completely beyond his control.

* * *

_The nine of them trudged through the jungles of the western continent in the sweltering heat, doing their best to avoid or otherwise ignore the bugs, leeches, and other, more exotic and dangerous wildlife all around them. They pressed on through the dense jungle, stopping only to address any injuries they might have sustained along their travels. And some of them, they had discovered, were more prone to accidents than others.._

_"Honestly, Yuffie, you're going to have to learn to take better care of yourself."_

_Cloud shook his head as he scolded the young girl, affixing another pair of band-aids, one to her knee, and another one across the bridge of her nose. The young ninja had been attempting to take a shortcut past one of the many ravines in their way, but had tripped and ended up sliding down a loose rock formation, gaining an impressive number of bumps and scrapes in the process._

_"I swear," he continued, "the way you keep rushing headlong towards danger, one of these days you're going to wake up dead."_

_"Nah. I'm invincible," Yuffie said. "Didn't you know that?"_

_"Really?" Cloud replied, humoring the brash young girl._

_"Yup. There's nothing out there that can hurt me," Yuffie replied, grinning._

_Cloud shook his head again, but smiled. He had learned that if there was one thing he could rely on when it came to Yuffie Kisaragi, it was the way she always bounced back from even the worst misfortunes. There were few things in the world that could dampen her spirit. She was so confident in her answer that he almost believed her._

_"No... I guess not," he replied._

* * *

Cloud woke up from his dream some time late in the afternoon. The lights in the operating theater were out, and the team of surgeons was exiting the room. As he got up, shaking off the last vestiges of sleep, he was approached by the chief surgeon.

"Good news," the doctor said, pulling down his surgical mask. "The operation went off without a hitch."

He stepped aside to reveal Yuffie being wheeled down the corridor towards them by one of the nurses. She looked exhausted, but relieved. Cloud felt relieved as well, seeing that she was okay after all.

"It shouldn't be long now before we can get your friend back on her feet," the doctor said. "But she needs to rest for a few more days."

* * *

Later in the evening, the two of them were on one of their walks through the hospital ward. It was growing late, and they were headed back to the main ward to retire for the night. "So, it looks like you'll be out of here soon," Cloud said as he wheeled Yuffie back down the corridor towards her room.

"Thank Leviathan," Yuffie replied. "I can't wait to get back into the dojo. I've been cooped up in here way too long."

"You should take it easy, though," Cloud said. "It'll be a while yet before you're able to walk again."

"Why don't we try it now?" Yuffie asked.

"I'm not sure you should be straining yourself just yet," Cloud said.

"Just for a moment," Yuffie replied. "Please? I'm so tired of sitting around all day."

Against his better judgement, Cloud gave in to her pleas. He brought the wheelchair to a halt halfway down the corridor, then moved over to the front as Yuffie braced herself against one of its arms. With effort, she forced herself to a standing position, stumbling slightly as she got up. Cloud caught her as she stumbled, and she balanced against him, her arms wrapped around his the back of his neck, forming an awkward kind of embrace as she tried to stand up on her own again.

The simple act of standing erect hurt like hell, and the pain in her upper leg was nothing short of apocalyptic, but she was standing again, and would soon stand again unaided. After only a few seconds, however, she faltered, sliding back into her wheelchair, grimacing.

"Damn it.." she whispered.

"It's okay," Cloud said. "Just take it easy. One step at a time."

Yuffie nodded, looking frustrated and tired.

"Come on," Cloud said. "Let's get you back to bed."

He took her back into her room, gently lifting her out of the wheelchair, helping her into bed and under the covers.

"I'm sorry to take up so much of your time," Yuffie said.

"I don't mind, really," Cloud said.

"Yeah, but... I mean, you've gotta get back to your own life at some point... right?" Yuffie said.

Cloud shrugged. "Didn't really have one to begin with. Why do you think I spend so much time collecting swords?"

His comment drew more laughter from her, which sent her into another brief coughing fit. "Damn it, Cloud... I told you not to make me laugh like that."

"Sorry," Cloud replied.

Though she chided him, she did so with a smile on her face. "Well, if you don't mind staying a little longer.." Yuffie said.

"Not at all," Cloud said. "I'll be here as long as you need me."

She tugged at the string on one of the helium balloons floating up against the ceiling, another 'get-well-soon' message from Denzel and Marlene written on it with a magic marker.

"I wonder what they're up to now?" she said.

"Nothing good, I expect," Cloud replied.

"Yeah, those little brats are always getting themselves into trouble," Yuffie said.

"Just like someone else I know," Cloud said, looking at her. She smiled at him. He smiled back.

It wasn't long before she was asleep again. As always, Cloud, unable to rest, watched over her while she slept. As he did, he thought about what she had said to him the day before.

_"Stuff happens. You can't always control it."_

He reached out, taking her hand again, watching as her chest heaved with regular breaths. For once, she seemed to be calm, completely at ease. Though she was asleep, there remained a lingering smile on her fine features.

_"But sometimes... just being there is enough."_


	4. Dear prudence

**Chapter 4  
Dear prudence**

* * *

Yuffie eyed the chequered board like a hawk, snatching up one of the chess pieces, as one might attempt to catch a coiled snake. "Oh, where is she going with this, I wonder?" she said, dangling the piece in the air above the board in a playful, teasing manner.

"Over here?" she said, holding the piece over a spot near the center. "Or maybe... over... here!" she said, landing her knight at the rim of the board. "Ha!"

Cloud raised an eyebrow, seeing her disastrous move. "Yuffie... have you ever played chess before?" he asked.

"Sure," Yuffie replied. "Wutaian chess, but still... the rules are _almost_ exactly the same."

_"Except that captured pieces don't come back in this game,"_ Cloud thought. He decided not to interrupt her, however, as she seemed to be enjoying herself.

Another week had gone by, and Yuffie had graduated from her wheelchair to a pair of crutches. The doctors assured her that she would be walking just fine without them before long, and that her recovery was nearly complete. In the meantime, she and Cloud were spending what time they could traversing the hospital ward in an effort to hasten her rehabilitation. They also found that they had to do a lot of waiting in between her regular check-ups, so they did their best to kill the time with whatever means were available to them. They had located a set of board games within one of the cupboards in the visitors' lounge, most of which had pieces missing or were used up to the point of falling apart. They had finally settled upon chess, seeing as how nearly all the pieces were still intact and they both knew how to play... or so they thought.

As Cloud leaned over the board, pondering his counter-move, Yuffie reached out, running her fingers through his hair, which was more unkempt than usual. "Oh, by the way," she said. "We have this invention in Wutai. It's called a 'comb'. You should try it sometime."

"Very funny," Cloud replied, rolling his eyes. "Never heard that one before."

Yuffie giggled. "Geez, Cloud... You really don't take teasing well, do you?"

"You know," Cloud said, "for someone who's still supposed to be in recovery, you're getting awfully feisty."

Yuffie smirked. "I'll show _you_ feisty, Spikes. Forget the board games. I'll bet I could take you right here and now."

"Let's talk about sparring once you're actually walking again, okay?" Cloud replied.

"All right," Yuffie replied, grinning. "Looking forward to it."

As he made his move, Yuffie picked up one of the pieces on her side of the board, scrutinizing it. "By the way, what do you call this castle-y thing again?" she asked.

"That's a rook," Cloud said.

"It's a wall," Yuffie said. "How can a wall move? That's kind of dumb, isn't it?"

Cloud shrugged. "It's just a game, Yuffie. It doesn't have to make sense. We've just gotta move the pieces according to the rules."

"Speaking of which... bam!" Yuffie replied, sliding one of her bishops across the board, knocking one of Cloud's pawns off the table, sending it rolling off into the distance. "Gotcha!"

The young ninja chanted and cheered, pumping her fist in the air as she did each time she claimed one of his pieces.

"Maybe we should have stuck with checkers," Cloud said. "You're getting way too much into this game."

"Aw, sore loser, much?" Yuffie teased him, continuing to cheer on her little victories on the board.

Cloud shook his head but smiled, more amused than annoyed by her antics at this point, taking them as another sign of her recovery. She was gradually returning to her old self, and that could only be a good thing, as far as he was concerned.

* * *

Tifa watched the two of them from across the room as they continued to play and kid around. Over the past few weeks, she had watched as her two friends spent more and more time together, growing closer as Cloud helped Yuffie to recover from her injuries.

Their relationship had been amicable before, even close, but there were subtle signs that they were going from being just good friends to being something more than that. The way Yuffie would latch on to Cloud's arm, leaning her head against his shoulder as he assisted her during her walks. The way he would watch over her while she slept, always with that same look of concern on his face, as though still afraid that something might happen to her if he left. And the hand-holding. A _lot_ of hand-holding, certainly a lot more than was strictly necessary.

They might not have noticed it yet, but it was getting to be painfully obvious to anyone around them what was happening.

_"You're in love with her, aren't you?"_ Tifa thought. _"You're in love with her, and you don't even realize it.."_

Under normal circumstances, she might have been jealous, but it was difficult to be envious of her two best friends,especially when what they needed most right now was each other. Yuffie was looking healthy and energetic once more, and her rapid recovery was no doubt partly due to her having someone to help her throughout her period of convalescence. Cloud, too, seemed to be benefiting from the time that he was spending in the hospital with Yuffie. He was smiling and even laughing when in her presence, something which had always been a rare sight, but which seemed to occur quite often when they were together.

Perhaps they made a better fit, Tifa thought. Their personalities seemed to clash and mesh in just the right way, after all. He helped to calm the young ninja down and put her at ease. She, in turn, brought out a more playful side of him, and helped him to forget his troubled past, something for which Tifa was secretly grateful. Whereas she and Cloud had a habit of reminding each other of their benighted history, when he was with Yuffie, he seemed able to put his troubles behind him for a moment, and to think of something other than their harrowed village or the loss of dear friends.

Though it wasn't easy for her to accept, she was ready to take the graceful sidestep and let them enjoy their time together. She wanted to see her childhood friend happy, after all, even if it was with someone else.

Tifa gave the two of them one last glance before leaving the hospital again. She had stopped by for a quick visit, but seeing how well they were getting along, she decided not to intrude upon them right away. There would be time to visit later.

* * *

They had just finished picking the chess pieces up off the floor and were arranging them on the table for a new game when Godo Kisaragi entered the ward. It was the first time that either of them had seen or even heard from Yuffie's father since she had been hospitalized. Given how stubborn they both were, and that they would get into heated arguments at the drop of a hat over the most trifling matters, it was surprising to see him suddenly drop by.

"Yuffie," Godo addressed her, his manner formal and rigid.

"Father," she replied, stiffening up in his presence as she always did.

"Are you well?" her father asked.

"I'm fine, dad," Yuffie replied. "I'll be on my feet again soon. You don't have to worry about that."

"Good," her father replied, circling the table where she and Cloud were seated. "That's good."

"Why are you here?" Yuffie asked.

"I'd like to ask you to come back to Wutai," Godo said.

"I told you, dad, I'm not going back," Yuffie said. "You're going to have to find someone else to deal with all the political BS."

"I'm not here to ask you to join the council," Godo replied.

"What, then?" Yuffie asked.

"We need someone to train our new recruits," Godo explained. "There's no-one else who possesses the kind of training and experience that you do."

"What about Master Mura?" Yuffie asked.

"He passed away last week," Godo replied. "He didn't name a successor, owing to his sudden departure, but... I suspect he might have nominated you."

Yuffie looked up at her father, realizing what he was saying. "You're making me the.."

"Head ninja, yes," Godo replied. "As for the politics, you can leave that to me. You won't have to worry about that at all."

For once, Yuffie was at a loss for words. The position that he was offering her, she knew, was something which took entire lifetimes just to aspire to. It was not the sort of thing that her father would suggest lightly. In terms of carrying on the warrior lineage of Wutai, it was the highest honor anyone could have bestowed upon them.

"Do you accept?" Godo asked.

Yuffie remained silent for a moment. Although the offer was tempting, it also meant that she would have to move away from Midgar and her friends. And she couldn't make things too easy for her father by agreeing right away. "I'll think about it," she said.

"That's all I ask," Godo said. "I'm sorry I can't stay, but I have pressing matters to attend to."

"I understand," Cloud replied. He got up, escorting Yuffie's father out of the building.

Before leaving, Godo paused at the entrance, turning to face him. "Oh, and... thank you for taking care of my daughter," Godo said, before walking out the door. Cloud watched him leave the hospital area, before heading back upstairs.

"So, where were we?" Cloud asked, as he returned to the ward.

"I believe I was kicking your ass at chess," Yuffie replied, tenting her fingers, looking rather smug.

"Oh, right," Cloud replied, sitting back down at the table.

He watched as she went on, gleefully performing several horrendous moves, far more devastating to her own position than to his. He had spotted a weakness in her defense a few moves ago, but was still debating whether to let her win or not. He didn't really care about winning or losing, so long as he got to spend a few more moments with her.


	5. Parting ways

**Chapter 5  
Parting ways**

* * *

"Happy twentieth, Yuffie."

"And many happy returns," Vincent added.

"Hear, hear," the others replied.

The clinking of glasses could be heard throughout the Turtle's Paradise as Yuffie's fellow Avalanche members raised a toast in honor of her twentieth birthday. They had even managed to embarrass her by launching into the 'happy birthday' song before she had a chance to stop them.

It had been seven months now since her discharge from the hospital, though it had taken her a little while longer to complete her recovery and get back into shape after such a long period of inactivity. Even though it was a little late in the year, the rest of Avalanche had decided to make Wutai their destination for this year's reunion, celebrating both Yuffie's birthday, as well as her recovery and the new title that had been bestowed upon her. The happy occasion was tempered by the knowledge that she was moving away from Midgar for good to assume her new responsibilities, so they made sure to celebrate with abandon, ensuring that their gathering would be one to remember.

"So... 'Master Yuffie'?" Cid asked. "You mean someone actually put you into a position of responsibility?"

Yuffie shrugged. "Someone's gotta teach these little brats how to fight."

"Did Yuffie just call someone else a 'brat'?" Reeve, who was seated at the far end of the table, asked.

"I know, man," Barret replied. "I think my irony meter just exploded."

"I am unfamiliar with such a measuring device," Nanaki said. "How does it work, exactly?"

Cid turned to the crimson beast, leaning down and clapping a hand on his shoulder, doing his best not to spill his beer in the process. "See, what an irony meter is, see.."

The captain, unable to contain the urge to mess about with his friend, continued to spin some scientific-sounding nonsense for a few minutes while Nanaki listened, with a look of earnest curiosity on his face. It looked as though it would be some time before he caught on, so Cid decided to take the joke as far as he could.

"So, how does one get to be the head ninja, anyway?" Reeve asked. "I imagine they don't give the title to just anyone."

"Well, there was Master Mura," Yuffie said. "They gave me the role because he croaked, apparently. They also tell me I'm the youngest person ever to hold the title."

"Well, you've earned it," Cloud said.

"Thanks," Yuffie replied.

"When do you start?" Tifa asked.

"Day after tomorrow," Yuffie replied. "They've been building a new dojo at the edge of town. It's not quite finished, but.."

"Why don't we go check it out?" Tifa suggested.

"You want to see it now?" Yuffie asked.

"Now would be a good time, yes," Tifa said.

"Well, if you insist.." Yuffie said, getting up.

Tifa got up as well, pulling her coat on. "We'll be back in a few minutes," she said to the others as they left.

"Wait... there's no such thing as an irony meter, is there?" Nanaki asked.

Cid and the others, who had up till now been containing their laughter, finally let up.

"I was wondering when you'd catch on," Cid replied.

Nanaki, it seemed, did not share their amusement. The crimson beast huffed, turning away from the captain with an indignant expression on his face.

"Oh, come on, Red. It was just a joke. Lighten up," Cid said.

"Hmph," Nanaki replied, still not deigning to look at them.

* * *

"You know... I think Zangan mentioned a 'Master Mura' a couple of times," Tifa said, as the two of them walked through the snow-covered streets of Wutai.

"You knew Zangan?" Yuffie asked.

"Yeah," Tifa said. "He was my teacher."

"I see," Yuffie said. "He left Wutai a long time ago. Had some kind of a falling out with the other teachers, from what I hear."

They walked on for a while, with Yuffie leading Tifa inside the building housing the newly-constructed dojo. In the center of the building was a spacious room, filled with training equipment, targets, weapons, mats, climbing gear, wooden dummies and anything else which might be required for the training that was to come. The walls were lined with scrolls bearing words of wisdom passed down from generations past, and the whole place was lit by ornate braziers, which hung from the walls and ceiling.

"This is quite the facility," Tifa said.

"It's where we're planning to train the next generation of Wutai's warriors," Yuffie explained. "We didn't spare any expense."

"I can see that," Tifa said, looking around.

"So, why'd you haul me out here tonight?" Yuffie asked. "You feel like sparring?"

"Not exactly," Tifa said. "Wait here."

So saying, she walked out of the dojo, disappearing back into the cold night. Yuffie did as she asked, waiting in the center of the training room, wondering what her friend was up to.

A few minutes later, the older girl returned with an apologetic-looking Reno in tow.

"What's this?" Yuffie asked.

"The last step of the healing process," Tifa replied. "Isn't that right, Reno?" she added, looking at the former Turk.

"Um.." Reno replied, looking decidedly uncomfortable. Tifa narrowed her eyes, glaring at him, giving him a look that said _"Don't make me twist your arm again."_

Reno winced, knowing that she was both ready and willing to make good on her threat. He turned to Yuffie, hesitating as he tried to find the right words.

"Listen... about what happened that night," he began. "I wasn't thinking. I let myself get out of control. I should have known better. What I did to you was wrong and... I'm sorry."

Yuffie simply looked at him for a while. Reno looked down on the floor, unable to meet her gaze at first, and when he finally tried, he found that he couldn't read the expression on her face. She seemed calm, rather than angry, which couldn't be a good sign..

"Come over here," Yuffie said.

With some hesitation, he approached her, still casting his gaze downwards. Yuffie looked at him, studying his face for a moment, before giving him a short, sharp whack across the face.

"Apology accepted," she said, looking up at him with a devious smile on her face.

Reno stumbled back out of the dojo, rubbing his aching cheek, which bore a red mark in the shape of her palm. He decided not to stick around, in case the young ninja intended to show any greater level of appreciation for his act of contrition.

"Feel better?" Tifa asked.

Although she had not given it a great deal of thought since her discharge from the hospital, the way things had ended between her and Reno nearly a year ago had still been bothering her. It had been a horrific experience, but thanks to the aid of her friends, as well as her own determination, she had emerged the victor.

"Yeah... I do." Yuffie said. "Thanks, Tifa."

Tifa smiled at her. "Any time," she replied.

* * *

By the time they returned to the Turtle's Paradise, it was growing late, and it would soon be time for her friends to return home. They enjoyed one last drink together, before departing, heading back to their hotel to pack their things. As they waited for everyone else to get their things together, Cloud, Yuffie and Tifa stood by in the hallway, saying their last goodbyes.

"Well, so long, 'Master Yuffie'," Tifa said.

"Come on, Teef," Yuffie replied. "It's just a title. You don't have to call me that."

"I know," Tifa said. "I'm just trying to get used to the idea, that's all."

"Everyone set?" Reeve asked.

"Hang on a sec," Cid replied, jamming down the lid of his trunk again. No matter what he did, it wouldn't seem to stay closed. The others, too, seemed to be occupied with unforeseen problems and last-minute preparations.

"Looks like they might be a while," Cloud said.

"You wanna take a walk?" Yuffie asked.

"Sure," Cloud said.

They knew they had a few minutes while the others finished packing their things and readied the Highwind for takeoff, so they decided to take a stroll through the nearby park together. Neither of them said anything for a long while, for fear of spoiling the moment. Reluctant though they were to admit it, they both knew that they were approaching the dreaded farewell. But they couldn't postpone it forever. He had his life to live, after all, and she had hers. That was how it had to be.

As they reached the outskirts of town, they came to a stop in the middle of the road, facing each other.

"So.." Yuffie said.

"So..." Cloud replied.

"I guess this is goodbye," Yuffie said.

Cloud nodded, but said nothing. She took both his hands, casting her gaze downwards, meaning to say something more, but there was nothing left to say.

He had been with her every day throughout her ordeal, encouraging her, helping her and keeping her company. Despite the unpleasant circumstances under which it had all begun, it had been a strangely enjoyable period, and the time that they had spent together seemed far too short, now that it was coming to an end. She considered asking him to stay, but she knew she could not. There was only one thing left to do..

"Thank you... for everything," she said, looking up at him again. She reached up, placing her hands on his shoulders, intending to give him a quick kiss on the cheek, but halfway through the motion, she turned ever so slightly, pressing her lips against his, changing her gesture from a small peck to a full-fledged kiss.

Cloud returned the embrace, pulling her closer as she tiptoed to make up for their difference in height. Time seemed to stand still as they shared their first kiss there in the forest. They weren't sure how long it all lasted, and they didn't care.

Finally, they broke off, and she took both his hands again. They stood there for a moment, neither of them knowing what to say.

"Cloud, move your ass, already! We're running late!" someone called from behind them. There was a loud noise in the distance as the Highwind's engines powered up. They remained still for a moment longer, enveloped by the cold winter night, as the snow continued to fall all around them.

"I should go," Cloud said.

"Yeah.." Yuffie replied, looking down on the ground.

Cloud reached up, caressing her cheek. "Take care," he said.

"You too," Yuffie said, pressing her hand against his, sharing what little warmth they had left in them. Cloud hesitated for a moment longer, before letting go of her hand, and she watched as he walked off into the woods, joining their friends on their trek back to the Highwind.

A few minutes later, the airship took off, sending a cold rush of air coursing through the trees, billowing over the roofs of the nearby buildings, causing the long trails of her headband to sway behind her in the artificial gust. Her friends stood on the observation deck, waving goodbye. She waved back, standing in the middle of the fields, watching as the ship disappeared behind the horizon. Then she returned home as well, safe and sound.

On her own again.

* * *

**Author's notes**

And that's that.

I might add one more chapter to this story, but after that I'll likely go on hiatus. I simply haven't got the time to do a whole lot of writing these days. That said, I've enjoyed writing this story, and I hope you've enjoyed reading it. Thanks to everyone for reading, as well as for your comments, suggestions and whatnot. Special thanks to Serene Meadows for all your support and enthusiasm.

Cheers,  
-GoV

with a devious smile on her face.


	6. Sine qua non

_and I find it kind of funny  
I find it kind of sad  
the dreams in which I'm dying  
are the best I've ever had  
I find it hard to tell you  
I find it hard to take  
when people run in circles  
it's a very, very  
mad world_

-Tears for Fears, 'Mad World'

**Epilogue  
Sine qua non**

* * *

A whole year had lapsed since Yuffie's return to Wutai, and life had, for the most part, returned to normal. Cloud tried to busy himself with work as he had done before. At Cid's suggestion, he had retired his delivery service in favor of opening a small repair shop near the center of town. Building and maintaining Fenrir had taught him plenty about mechanical workings, after all, not to mention all the time he had spent crafting new weapons for himself in the two years since the Meteor crisis. Overall, he found that he had a knack for crafting and repairing mechanical things. The methodical, perfunctory actions involved in taking vehicles and machinery apart and piecing them back together were oddly relaxing to him, and helped him to take his mind off things. And it was a nice change of pace not having to travel unless it was by his own volition.

He would occasionally be called upon to help Tifa with running the Seventh Heaven or taking care of Marlene and Denzel. Other times, he would join up with the rest of the Avalanche crew when they were in town, meeting up for drinks and reminiscing about their days as a ragtag group of rebels fighting an evil corporate empire. Four years had passed since then, and in the détente that followed their victory, the world had changed, mainly for the better.

All in all, life was going well enough, but there were times when he couldn't help but feel that there was something missing.

He stood by one of the milling machines, guiding the drill down into the workpiece inlaid in its vise. As such, he didn't hear the knocking at the door, looking up only when he saw Vincent entering his workshop.

"Afternoon," Vincent greeted him, stepping inside the room.

"...Vincent," Cloud said, lifting his protective glasses. "Long time, no see."

"Indeed," Vincent replied. "Everything copacetic, I trust?"

"Can't complain," Cloud said, shutting the machine off and walking over to where Vincent stood. "Things have been a little slow this month, but I'm getting by. You?"

"Same as always," Vincent said. "We're keeping busy. There's still plenty of work to be done, even though there are no more crises for us to worry about."

The gunman sauntered over to the far side of the room, examining the rack upon which Cloud's old armory hung. Blades of all sizes, shapes and lengths were arranged upon the wall, each one hand-crafted, and all of them gradually starting to collect rust in the prolonged peacetime.

"One almost misses those days," Vincent remarked, examining the impressive array of weaponry before him.

"Almost," Cloud replied. Though he didn't deny that those days had held a great deal of excitement and adventure for them all, their struggles had also come with great sacrifices. Sacrifices which he would gladly see undone, even if it meant giving up on adventuring. But it was too late to change the past. All they could do now was try to ensure that the people around them might have a brighter future ahead.

"By the way," Vincent said, turning back to his friend, "have you had time to take care of that thing I inquired about earlier?"

Cloud walked over to a cabinet on the opposite side of the room, producing a thin, grey case from it. He set the case down upon one of the metal tables, undid the latches, then removed the gun from its mould and presented it to Vincent.

"Here," he said, handing Vincent the gun. "Good as new."

"Much obliged," Vincent replied, accepting the weapon. He held the gun up to the light, studying it, finding the repair work and finish impeccable.

"Impressive work, I must say," Vincent said, peering down the gunsights. "What do I owe you for this?"

"It's on the house," Cloud said.

"I do wonder how you stay in business sometimes," Vincent said, returning the gun to its case.

Cloud shrugged. "Beats me," he replied, returning to the milling machine. "I guess there's always going to be something out there that needs fixing."

"True enough," Vincent said, picking the case up from the table. "By the way, Tifa called. She was wondering if you'd like to join us for drinks later tonight."

"Sure," Cloud replied. "Just need to finish one thing, first."

"Very well," Vincent replied, then departed, leaving Cloud to finish his work.

* * *

"All right, you little runts. Pay attention, now. I'm only going to do this once."

Yuffie closed her eyes, drawing one long breath, then another, before breaking into a run, launching into an extended series of handsprings before flipping around in mid-air as she approached the far end of the room. As she leapt up, she threw the three daggers clutched between her fingers, hitting each target with little effort before coming to a graceful stop at the end of the training mat.

Her students applauded, greatly impressed by her acrobatic display. "Okay, that's all for today," she said, rising up and wiping the sweat from her brow. "Keep practicing, and some day you _might_ be able to pull that move off. Not as well as _I_ can, obviously, but.."

Her boasting earned her a round of laughter from her students, as it usually did. She couldn't help but laugh herself, seeing their mirthful faces.

"Now get your scrawny butts back home already," Yuffie said. "I'll see you next year."

With that, her students left the dojo, heading back home for the winter break. Yuffie picked up and put away some of the training equipment they'd been using that day, then headed for the showers.

It was strange, she thought, being responsible for someone else. She had gotten used to living on her own, after all, especially after she had run away from home. But, contrary to her expectations, she found that it was not an unpleasant change of pace. Although she would never say it to their faces–largely for fear of it going to their heads–the kids were great, and she was even a little wary that her students might surpass her some day. Not that she minded. The best way to thank one's teachers, after all, was to exceed them, as the saying went.

A few minutes later, she was on her way back home, taking in the sights of the new and vibrant city. She and her father has spent the last year or so working to restore Wutai to some semblance of its former glory. It was no longer the dilapidated resort town that had caused her so much vexation, and which had forced her to run away from home in the first place. It was starting to feel more and more like the home she remembered from her childhood.

Along the way home, she diverted her course up the mountain path leading to the Da Chao, as she often did when she had something on her mind, or whenever there was something bothering her. She couldn't tell what it was, exactly, but even now, a good year since her return home, there was still something eating away at her.

As she sat atop the guardian statue overlooking her home town, she tried to work out why it was that she still felt so distressed after all this time. She had everything she had always wanted, after all. Her country's future was secure. There was no lack of excitement or things for her to do, and with the generous donations made by her fellow Avalanche members, she had more materia to play and experiment with than she had ever dreamed of possessing. "Without an enemy to fight, they're as good as glorified marbles to us. But perhaps you'll find a better use for them than we can," Vincent had remarked as they parted with their share of the sought-after orbs.

Life was good. She knew life was good.

Then why did it all feel so hollow?

* * *

Cloud rolled out from underneath the van he had been working on, wiping the engine grease from his hands as he got up, then washed away the grime from his face by the sink in the corner of the room. Having completed the last of the repair jobs slated for the day, he went about shutting down his repair shop for the night, when something caught his eye. A silver throwing star, hanging in the lower left corner of his weapons display.

The shuriken in the corner belonged to Yuffie. She had left it behind in her old apartment when she moved away from Midgar, having forgotten to take it with her, it seemed. Cloud walked over, picking the tiny weapon up from the wall. He held it between his fingertips, turning it slowly as he examined its begrimed surface in the shop's dim light. He had always meant to do something with it, though he wasn't sure what. He might take the time to clean and mend it, keeping it as a souvenir, he thought. Or perhaps he should return it to her. Still, he doubted that there was any shortage of these things in Wutai, and traveling halfway across the world just to return something like that seemed a specious excuse, at best.

He decided to put it aside for the time being. There was one more thing to do, before he could close down for the day. Placing the throwing star back on the wall, he headed over to the milling machine to finish one last workpiece for the day.

He stood by the machine again, going through the same mechanical, methodical motions of shaping metal using the tools around him, carrying out one step after another, the same routine he had performed countless times before.

He kept thinking of that night back in Wutai, the last time he and Yuffie had seen each other. In particular, he remembered the moment they had shared just before he left. He kept wondering what it had meant, if anything. They had spent so much time together the first part of that year, after all. It wasn't all that strange that they had become close. Nor was it strange that they had shared a brief infatuation, acting out on it in the heat of the moment.

A minor infatuation. A fling. That was all it was. So he kept telling himself.

Even so, the hows and the whys and the what-ifs kept coming back to him, much as he tried to ignore them. Irrational though it seemed, there were times when he wondered if he had made a mistake in leaving, but what else could he do?

Having finally resumed his own life, he found that he was merely going through the motions, day after day, performing the same actions over and over again. Every action was just that... perfunctory. Mechanical. Every day occupied, yet aimless. Pointless.

_"So... I guess I'm out here on my own."_

_"You keep bottling stuff up like this, you're going to drive yourself crazy. Again."_

_"...I'm scared."_

_"Sometimes... just being there is enough."_

_"Thank you... for everything."_

_What if.._

Frustrated, he threw the workpiece aside, sending it crashing into the wall next to him. He shut the machine off, sighing, leaning over the board, clutching its edges for balance. He found himself unable to focus on his work whenever these thoughts started to torment him.

_"Damn it, Cloud.."_ he thought. _"You need to stop thinking like this. What's done is done. No changing the past now."_

He tried to convince himself that it was just fatigue. Nerves. That everything would be fine in the morning. But he knew exactly what awaited him. Another sleepless night. Another empty day.

Muttering a small litany of curses under his breath, he picked the workpiece up from the floor again, setting it aside for the day, then went about closing his shop for the night, before setting off for the Seventh Heaven.

* * *

Yuffie lay on the futon in her bedroom, counting the cracks in the ceiling in the vain hope that the sheer tedium of the task would help her to fall asleep. No such luck.

Everything was all right, she kept telling herself. Except it wasn't. And she couldn't tell why.

It was certainly not idleness that was plaguing her. Between instructing her students and furthering her own training, climbing, sparring, picking locks and figuring out new and interesting ways of using materia without getting herself killed in the process, her days were filled with all the things she most enjoyed doing, and at which she had always excelled. What else could it be, then, she wondered.

Turning on her side, she glanced over at the corner of the room, where she had left her old crutches, which she had been asked to retain in the unlikely case that she might need them again.

She lay back down on her pillow, facing the ceiling again, thinking of her days spent in the hospital. Strange as it might seem, she was almost beginning to miss them. She certainly didn't miss the lethargy, or the incident that had put her there in the first place. She was thankful that she had put all of that behind her. Rather, what she missed, she realized, was the company that she had enjoyed during that time.

Giving up on sleep for the time being, she got up, lighting the paper lantern next to her cot, then walked over the cupboard behind the folding screens beside it. She looked over the top of the cupboard, upon which lay a cornucopia of trinkets and souvenirs that she had collected over the years. Among them was a tattered piece of paper with a children's drawing of "auntie Yuffie" done in crayons by Marlene and Denzel, which they had handed to her during one of their visits to the hospital. Next to it was a picture mounted in a frame, a blurry snapshot of Aerith gazing out into a distant mountain range, the only existing photograph of the departed Cetra.

Beside it was another, more recent picture, a group photo taken not long after the Deepground incident. She picked up the frame, running her thumb across the photograph's surface, in particular over Cloud's figure, positioned at the far edge of the frame. She studied his face for a minute, imperceptible though it was in the photo. Avalanche's unofficial leader stood at the far side of the group, facing away from the camera, aloof as always. He never was one to seek attention, she thought with a wry smile.

She shook her head as she studied the photograph in her hands. They had always been so close to one another, and yet, they had never really noticed each other's presence. At least, not until her sudden affliction had brought them together.

She wondered what he was up to these days. Probably settled down somewhere with his childhood friend and surrounded by a horde of their offspring at this point, she figured. It was the only logical conclusion, after all.

For a moment, she couldn't help wondering what it was that they had had, and what might have been, if life hadn't gotten in the way.

_"Honestly, Yuffie..."_

_"The way you keep rushing headlong towards danger.."_

_"...one of these days, you're going to wake up dead."_

_"I'm right here with you. I'm not going anywhere. I promise."_

_"You're going to be okay. I know it."_

_"...Take care."_

She wiped an idle tear from her eye, then placed the photograph back with the others. Gathering her night robe about her, she slid aside the paper door at the back of her room, walking out onto the roof. It was the cusp of new year's eve, and between the constant snowfall and the cold wind, it was difficult to tell that there was even a world beyond her surroundings. She sat down on the snow-covered roof, shivering in the chill winter night, gazing out at the lonely moon far above.

As she looked out over the radiant sky, she thought of Cloud again, wondering if he was doing okay. Foolish and vain though it seemed to her, she still entertained the notion that he might drop in for an unexpected visit some time. But aside from the annual reunions held by Avalanche, they had separate lives to live, and little reason to meet up again.

...didn't they?

* * *

"The wolf-man cometh," Vincent remarked, as Cloud entered the Seventh Heaven.

"You need to work on your material, Vince," Cloud replied, taking a seat between him and Cid.

"You're late, man," Barret said.

"Sorry," Cloud said. "Last minute repairs."

"Well, I sure hope you ain't drivin' tonight," Cid said, "'cause we ain't sending you home sober."

"No kidding," Reeve chimed in. "I doubt you'd be able to stay vertical if you'd shown up any sooner."

"As for me, I've gotta hit the road," Cid said, checking his watch. "I promised Shera I'd be back early tonight."

So saying, the captain staggered off towards the exit, leaving the rest of Avalanche to their get-together.

"Glad to see you're taking some time off," Tifa said, handing Cloud a drink. "Vincent and I were starting to worry about you."

Cloud nodded, accepting the drink. Recently, he had noticed, it was 'Vincent and I', not just 'I' or 'me'. Vincent, he knew, was spending more and more time around the Seventh Heaven, and Tifa. Cloud took it as another sign that the two of them were growing closer, which could only be a good thing, as far as he was concerned. He was glad to see that they were moving on with their lives, finding solace in each other's arms.

"Got something big planned?" he asked, noticing the packed suitcases in the corner of the room.

"We were thinking of closing up shop for a few days, maybe take a trip somewhere," Tifa said.

"Sounds nice," Cloud said.

"How about you?" Tifa asked.

Cloud shrugged. "I'm keeping busy."

"I know, but.." Tifa said. "You should do something for yourself from time to time, you know?"

"I'm all right, really," Cloud assured her. Even though they weren't spending as much time together as they used to, she still insisted on fussing over him. Her concern was not unwelcome, but he didn't want her to keep worrying about him. She had better things to do with her life than to keep playing the proverbial catcher in the rye just for him.

"Well... if you say so," Tifa said, joining the others at the front of the bar.

* * *

Some time later in the evening, Cloud found himself sitting on the steps outside the Seventh Heaven. He leaned back, looking up at the starlit sky. Despite the late time of year, it was a brilliant night, scarcely discernible from the daytime. He wondered if the same sky might be found overlooking the other side of the world.

As he sat there, he could hear the sound of heavy footsteps bearing upon the woodwork behind him.

"Cloud," Vincent greeted him.

"Vincent," Cloud replied, as Vincent sat down on the steps next to him.

"I see you're still standing," Vincent remarked.

"So to speak," Cloud said. "You don't seem to be doing so bad, yourself."

"Indeed," Vincent replied.

The two of them sat in silence for a brief moment, before Vincent spoke. "Something on your mind?" he asked.

Cloud didn't answer right away, so Vincent spoke up again. "Perhaps I should say 'someone'," the former Turk remarked. "You're still worried about her?"

Cloud shook his head and sighed. Was he that easy to read?

"I know she's all right," he replied. "And I know she doesn't need looking after, but.."

He shrugged, grasping for the right words. "I just can't stop thinking about her," he said. "I can't explain it."

Vincent looked up at the sky, weighing his words for a moment, before responding. "'Sine qua non'."

Cloud looked at Vincent, not sure what to make of his cryptic reply.

"'That without which one cannot be'," Vincent explained.

Cloud looked away again, gazing out into the distance.

"You should go to her," Vincent said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Cloud looked at him again for a moment. Vincent was eyeing him with perfect sincerity, and his gaze seemed to pierce right through to the core of his doubts and worries. Perhaps he had known all along what was bothering him, even though he had never voiced his thoughts before. Whatever the case was, Cloud knew that he was right.

"I will," he said, standing up. "Thanks, Vincent."

The gunman nodded, watching as he left.

"Any time."

* * *

Cid batted away at the alarm clock buzzing incessantly in the gloom. Then, as consciousness gradually returned to him unbidden, he realized it wasn't the alarm clock that was making all that racket, but his phone. He muttered a few choice curse words, then reached for the infernal thing vibrating on his nightstand.

"It's all right, hon," he said to Shera, who was starting to toss and turn in bed as well. "Go back to sleep."

Satisfied that only one of them was losing sleep tonight, he picked up and answered the phone. "Yeah?"

"Cid, it's me. I need to ask you a favor."

Cid rubbed his aching forehead, grumbling and moaning, recognizing Cloud's voice on the other end. "Christ, kid... do you know what time it is?" he asked.

"It's important," Cloud said.

"Can it wait?" Cid asked, though he suspected he already knew the answer to that question.

"Not really, no."

He sat up at the edge of the bed, still groggy, running a hand through his bedraggled hair as Cloud explained what he needed.

"Hell... all right," Cid replied, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Meet me at the train station in half an hour."

* * *

Yuffie stirred in her cot, the barest hints of sleep that she had managed being dispelled by the noise of an airship approaching in the distance. Not just any airship, either. She sat up in her bed, recognizing the sound of the Highwind, getting closer by the minute.

For a moment, she wondered if she was simply imagining things. But the noise was only growing louder. Getting up, she walked over to the circular window at the far side of her bedroom, peering out into the distance. There were lights in the sky, and for a moment she thought it might just be someone launching fireworks late at night. But the lights remained constant, eventually revealing the frame of an airship moving towards the forest at the edge of the city, alighting there for a moment, before taking off again.

She wasted no time in getting dressed, pulling her boots on and tying her headband before bolting out into the streets below. It was too much to hope for. But maybe. Just maybe..

* * *

Cloud stepped out of the woods and into the empty streets. There was not a single soul to be seen at this late hour, nor one single light in any window. The snow continued to drift down onto the streets, and the cold wind only seemed to be picking up. He wondered if he had made a mistake coming back, after all. He had no idea what to expect, or why he thought that she might somehow be waiting for him.

As he marched on through the snow-covered streets, he heard someone calling his name. He turned around to see Yuffie running towards him. Before he could respond, she had closed the distance between them. She threw her arms around him, enveloping him in a tight hug, almost causing him to lose his balance in the process.

"...You're back," she said, looking up at him.

"Yeah... I am," he replied.

She hugged him again. "I really missed you... you know?" she said, her voice close to a whisper.

"I missed you, too," Cloud said, gently stroking the back of her head, running his fingers through her jet-black locks.

They remained still for a moment, two solitary figures enveloped by the snowfall and the cold winter night.

"What made you come back?" Yuffie asked, looking up at him again.

Cloud reached up, caressing her cheek. "...'Sine qua non'," he replied.

"What does that mean?" Yuffie asked, puzzled.

He shook his head, smiling at her. "It doesn't matter. I'm here now."

She smiled at him for a moment, but then a downcast expression crept upon her features. "I know," she said, "but... you'll have to leave again, won't you?"

"I'm here to stay," Cloud said, taking her hands in his.

"Promise?" Yuffie asked.

Cloud smiled at her. "Promise."

She grinned, hugging him again, squeezing him so hard that he felt as though he might burst. He returned the gesture, wrapping his arms around her as well. They stood there for a moment longer in the empty, snow-laden street, enjoying each other's warmth in the cold night.

"Well, come on," Yuffie said, taking his hand, leading him down the streets towards the Kisaragi family residence. "You need a place to stay, right? Don't worry, I'll set you up. You need someone to take care of you, after all."

His lips curved into another smile.

"I guess I do."

**The End**

* * *

**Afterword**

Okay, that really _is_ the ending, full stop. This was never meant to be a long story, after all, and I doubt that I could sustain one much longer than this without having the plot fall to pieces. I figure it's probably for the better that I quit while I'm ahead.

A couple of reviewers have expressed concerns that Yuffie might be letting Reno off the hook far too easily in chapter 5, questioning whether anyone would really do what she did. It's a fair criticism, and one that I expected might come up, but I think that said reviewers may have misread the scene in question. She's not forgiving him in the sense that she's welcoming him back into the fold, or inviting him to be friends again (it's unlikely that she would ever want to see him again, given what he did to her). Rather, she, in her somewhat sardonic manner, is telling him that she's not going to live the rest of her life as a victim. That she's not going to let the experience bend or break her in any way. She's stronger than that, I figured, both mentally and physically.

The idea, from Tifa's perspective, was to confront Reno with his crime, and to allow Yuffie to repay him for it. She could, of course, have done much worse to him in kind, but I wanted her response to be more mature than that. In essence, she is telling him that she's not going to allow his misdeed to haunt or scar her. (This was something that I thought I shouldn't really spell out, but perhaps I didn't get it across clearly enough in the story). The last thing that I want readers to think is that I'm somehow belittling or making light of a serious subject, which was not my intention at all.

As I explained to another reviewer, I didn't want to turn Yuffie into a waif or an invalid. I wanted to try to ensure that she was still the same character, even though I was placing her into a different situation than what we're used to seeing. I admit that I took the "hurt/comfort" label fairly literally, but I think the story came out all right despite that decision. But that is, of course, ultimately up to the readers to decide.

Speaking of criticism, I expect that Reno fans are none too pleased with me, either, thought I've admittedly yet to receive any censure from them. One reviewer raised the point of whether he would really have it in him to do what he does in this story. I don't really know, but I remind you that he didn't seem to have any great reservations about wiping out an entire sector full of innocent civilians in the original story, so there's that. However, I would also like to remind everyone that this is just a fan-made story, and thus by definition apocryphal. Make your own judgments. If we shadows have offended, as the saying goes.

**On the title:**

'Sine qua non' is an old Latin phrase which, according to my dictionary, 'denotes an absolute precondition', so one way to read it would be 'that without which one cannot be'.

Essentially, I was trying to get the two principal characters to say "I love you" to one another without simply saying the words outright. A little subtlety goes a long way, I figured, though the end result is probably about as subtle as a tap-dancing t-rex. Still, I thought it was worth going for. Did it work? You tell me.

**A note on the music:**

It might be rather too obvious to merit pointing out, but you might have noticed that chapters three and four borrow their titles from 'Comfortably numb' by Pink Floyd and 'Dear prudence' by the Beatles, respectively. The third and most blatantly stated tune, of course, is 'Mad World' by Tears for Fears, though just about everyone, myself included, is likely better acquainted with the (in my humble opinion superior) cover version by Gary Jules. I was, however, thinking of and listening to the acoustic cover versions of these three songs done by Mike Masse and Jeff Hall whilst scribbling down the notes that ended up becoming this story. You can look them up on YouTube if you are so inclined.

**In closing:**

I've been asked to write a little more, but as I said, I'm pretty much dry of inspiration at this point. I might attempt a sequel to this story sometime, though that won't be any time soon. It's possible that I'll hand the reins over to someone else, as I need to take a break from writing altogether. Now, I fear that if I scribble on much longer, this afterword will wind up being longer than the damn story, so I think I'll stop here. I hope you have enjoyed this story, and I would like to thank everyone once again for reading and reviewing.

That's all, folks.  
-GoV


End file.
